Yesterday when I was young
Yesterday when I was young
Song translation
Charles Aznavour
Learn Yesterday When I Was Young by Charles Aznavour with lyrics, line-by-line translation, and interactive vocabulary practice.
Yesterday When I Was Young by Charles Aznavour is a great song to learn French through music. This page breaks down 30 lines with a clear, line-by-line translation, plus 7 key words such as young, yesterday, life. Singing along is one of the fastest ways to pick up natural pronunciation and make new phrases stick — far more memorable than plain word lists. Tap any line to open interactive mode and practice the vocabulary until you own it.
Line-by-line practice helps you understand the meaning and remember useful phrases.
Yesterday when I was young
Yesterday when I was young
The taste of life was sweet as rain upon my tongue
The taste of life was sweet as rain upon my tongue
I teased at life as if it were a foolish game
I teased at life as if it were a foolish game
The way the evening breeze may tease a candle flame
The way the evening breeze may tease a candle flame
The thousand dreams I dreamed, the splendid things I planned
The thousand dreams I dreamed, the splendid things I planned
I always built, alas, on weak and shifting sand
I always built, alas, on weak and shifting sand
I lived by night and shunned the naked light of day
I lived by night and shunned the naked light of day
And only now I see how the years ran away
And only now I see how the years ran away
Yesterday when I was young
Yesterday when I was young
So many drinking song were waiting to be sung
So many drinking songs were waiting to be sung
So many wayward pleasures laid in store for me
So many wayward pleasures laid in store for me
And so much pain my dazzled eyes refused to see
And so much pain my dazzled eyes refused to see
I ran so fast that time and youth at last ran out
I ran so fast that time and youth at last ran out
I never stopped to think what life was all about
I never stopped to think what life was all about
And every conversation I can now recall
And every conversation I can now recall
Concerned itself with me, me and nothing else at all
Concerned itself with me, me and nothing else at all
Yesterday the moon was blue
Yesterday the moon was blue
And every crazy day brought something new to do
And every crazy day brought something new to do
I used my magic age as if it were a wand
I used my magic age as if it were a wand
And never saw the waste and emptiness beyond
And never saw the waste and emptiness beyond
The game of love I played with arrogance and pride
The game of love I played with arrogance and pride
And every flame I lit too quickly, quickly died
And every flame I lit too quickly, quickly died
The friends I made all seemed, somehow, to drift away
The friends I made all seemed, somehow, to drift away
And only I am left on stage to end the play
And only I am left on stage to end the play
There are so many songs in me that won't be sung
There are so many songs in me that won't be sung
I feel the bitter taste of tears upon my tongue
I feel the bitter taste of tears upon my tongue
The time has come for me to pay for yesterday
The time has come for me to pay for yesterday
When I was young
When I was young
Young
Young
Young
Young
Key words from this song. Practice them in Langooo to remember them faster.
young
young
yesterday
yesterday
life
life
many
many
taste
taste
upon
upon
tongue
tongue